Highlighting the potential of educational diplomacy, USC President C. L. Max Nikias spoke this morning to members of Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales (COMEXI), Mexico’s Council of Foreign Relations. COMEXI’s members include foreign and Mexican diplomats, industry leaders, elected officials and various government and non-governmental organizations.

In his remarks, Nikias stressed the important and evolving role research universities will play in supporting and promoting global partnerships and development and described the initiatives USC is undertaking to be at the center of this international push.

Increasingly, it is up to individual universities to establish their own networks and create their own collaborations to benefit their institutions as well as society as a whole.

C. L. Max Nikias

“Today, we’re seeing a seismic shift in the way private research universities like USC contribute to global innovation,” Nikias said. “Increasingly, it is up to individual universities to establish their own networks and create their own collaborations to benefit their institutions as well as society as a whole.”

Nikias continued, “USC does this by creating a diverse faculty and student body on our campuses, by taking international trips like this one, by holding conferences and discussions around the world, by encouraging student exchanges, and by forming research partnerships that reach around the world.”

USC’ delegation wraps up its presidential delegation to Mexico City today. Throughout the week, trustees, senior administrators and deans have visited Mexican companies, business leaders and alumni, and furthered a number collaborations with leading institutions, including CONACYT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, the Mexican equivalent of the National Science Foundation), the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.

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